


Priceless

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-18
Updated: 2006-03-18
Packaged: 2019-02-02 07:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: A missing member of SG-1 leads to an adventure for them all. This story is based on Pettygrew's "The Bounty" Plot bunny that I picked up (I hope she doesn't mind!).





	Priceless

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

**Part I: Lost**

"Carter, are you done yet?"

Jack O'Neill looked towards his second in command, who was currently kneeling in front of a big, blue, mushroom-like plant. She raised her head and gave him a patient look. 

"No, sir. I still have one more test to run on this specimen."

"What's so interesting about it, Major? It looks like a giant mushroom to me," Jack asked as he made his way towards her. 

"It's giving off energy, Colonel. I'm trying to figure out what type of energy and if it could be beneficial to us. I just need a half hour to finish this up, sir."

Jack nodded. "Okay, Carter. I have to go and find Daniel anyway. With any luck, it'll take me that entire half hour to drag him out of that temple he's rooted himself to." He noticed Carter's smile and gave her one of his own. "Teal'c, stay with Carter. We'll leave when I get back with Daniel."

Jack made his way towards the temple with a slight spring to his step. This had been an unusually uneventful mission to a fairly decent planet. The weather had been mild and lovely, and the terrain was easy to navigate. They'd gotten to PFC-889 a mere 40 hours ago. Carter had done her thing, Daniel had done his thing, and everyone was happy. Their two days of exploration were just about up, and Jack decided that it was time to go home.

The temple he was currently heading towards was big and mostly buried under debris. However, it was still distinguishable as a once teeming center of activity. Daniel had said that the architecture itself signified that the local population had held their religious beliefs above all else, which had made him think that the local deity had been a Goa'uld. Daniel had been very interested in finding out what Goa'uld had served here and for how long, which Jack had to admit, interested him as well. 

Of course, Jack would never tell the archaeologist that he'd actually been paying attention to the lecture. Daniel would never let him live it down, and Jack wasn't quite ready to let Daniel get the better of him in that instance.

"Daniel, it's time to go!" Jack called out as he reached the entrance to the temple. "You've had your fun digging in the rocks for two days, now be a good sport and come willingly."

Jack grinned mischievously, knowing that Daniel was going to have a million and one reasons for wanting to stay on the planet for a little while longer. He had to admit that he liked the banter that usually resulted from his dragging Daniel away from what ever he'd chosen to submerge himself in, which made him do it even more. 

"Daniel?" Jack called again when there was no answer from the archaeologist. 

He walked fully into the temple only to find it deserted. He looked around the spacious room and found nothing more than the portable lamp Daniel had set up to help him see the writings on the walls. Jack made his way over to the area Daniel had designated as his, a frown forming on his face with every step he took. He looked around the room again, hoping to find a door or passage he'd missed upon his earlier inspection, but found nothing more than the four walls of the chamber and the door he'd used to enter the temple. 

"Daniel, this isn't funny," Jack said loudly, his voice tinged with concern. 

Daniel wasn't one to hide from him, not even as a joke and especially not on a mission. However, the archaeologist did have a habit of getting so caught up in his work that he lost track of everyone and everything around him. If Daniel had found some writing outside of the temple that he'd found interesting, he was likely to have walked off to check it out without telling the rest of his team. Jack sighed. 

Carter's going to get more than her half hour at this rate, Jack muttered to himself. 

He reached a small rock where Daniel's field notes and journal were located, the notebook open as if waiting for Daniel to write something on it. Daniel's pen and tape recorder were on the floor beside the rock.

"Okay... what's wrong with this picture? Daniel's things are still here, but there's no Daniel. Why would he run off without taking his field notes?

Jack keyed his radio. "Teal'c, has Daniel made it back to base camp?"

There was a moment's pause, before the Jaffa's voice came back over the radio.

"Negative, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson is not here."

"Well, he's not in the temple either. Wasn't there a smaller temple just a few meters north of this one?"

"Yes, O'Neill. Do you think Daniel Jackson is there?"

"You never know with Daniel. Why don't you walk over there and check it out. I'll look around the perimeter of this temple. Let me know immediately if you find anything. O'Neill out."

Jack turned back around and faced the front of the temple. The illumination from the planet's sun streamed in through a skylight at the front of the temple, illuminating the place where the altar once stood. On the back wall, a statue made of what appeared to be gold shimmered in the sunlight, giving the whole temple an eerie appearance. The two side walls didn't receive as much of the sun's illumination and were therefore shrouded in semi-darkness, drawing that much more attention to the altar. He could see why Daniel had had to put up a lamp to read the inscriptions. 

"Damnit Daniel," Jack said as he bent down to retrieve Daniel's things. He gathered the various reference books along with Daniel's notebook and journal and put them in Daniel's pack, which he had abandoned next to the wall. "When I find you, I'm going to wring your neck."

His task finished, Jack packed up the portable lamp and made his way out of the temple. He was about to head back towards base camp when Teal'c's voice stopped him. 

"O'Neill, I have found something in this temple that you should see."

"Is it Daniel?" Jack asked into his radio, dread already settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Come, O'Neill."

Jack didn't have to be told twice. He picked up the discarded lamp and quickly made his way towards the other temple. Once he reached it, he found Teal'c squatting next to one of the walls. 

"Teal'c, what did you find?"

Teal'c didn't reply. He simply beckoned for Jack to make his way towards him, and then pointed to a stain on the floor. 

Jack squinted at the stain, knowing what it was, yet trying to tell himself that it couldn't be what he thought it was. The sun's rays streaming through the open roof of the temple didn't help, as they illuminated what he was trying not to see. 

"That could be anything, Teal'c."

"I also found this," Teal'c said and held something out to Jack. Jack took it from the Jaffa and gasped as he saw Daniel's glasses, one lens broken and stained with blood. 

"Damn."

Jack glanced back down at the blood stain on the floor, grimacing at the size of it. 

"This planet is supposed to be uninhabited."

"Indeed. It seems we were mistaking in assuming it was so."

"There's not enough blood for Daniel to be seriously hurt or dead," Jack said, the last word leaving a nasty taste in his mouth. "But there's no body, so whoever attacked him took him somewhere else."

"I concur, O'Neill. I walked the perimeter of the temple and found no trace of Daniel Jackson or his assailant," Teal'c offered. "We do not know how long it has been since Daniel Jackson was taken, therefore we do not know how much of a head start the assailant had."

"We aren't going to properly cover the surrounding area on foot, so we need something else." Jack broke off and keyed his radio. "Carter, contact General Hammond and tell him that we need a UAV ASAP."

"Sir, what's wrong?" Carter replied, concerned. 

"Daniel's missing, Major."

"Could he have wondered off?"

"Not with a blow to the head. This uninhabited planet is not as uninhabited as we thought. Get the UAV, Carter. Teal'c and I are going to start searching the area around the second temple. Contact me when the UAV arrives."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Sam Carter stood by the DHD, waiting for whoever was coming thought the gate to arrive. 

She'd contacted General Hammond immediately after she'd spoken to the colonel. It had been hard to explain what was going without knowing all of the details herself, but she managed to convince the general to send the UAV, along with an SG team. The general had told her that he would send the UAV's controls to her, so that she could monitor and control it without leaving the planet. 

The first person came out of the gate and immediately made eye contact. As soon as she saw Louis Feretti, she knew that SG-2 was right behind him. 

"Major Carter, General Hammond didn't tell us much, only that Daniel is missing and you needed the UAV. What's going on?"

Sam shook her head and glanced behind Feretti as the rest of his team came out of the gate. "I'm not exactly sure, Major. All I know is that Daniel is missing and Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are out looking for him. They said he'd been injured, but I'm not sure how they know that."

"Lieutenant Rodriguez has the UAV controls. It's ready to launch back at the base as soon as you're ready. I'm going to take Lieutenant Moser and Captain Sams with me and join the colonel and Teal'c on their search."

Sam nodded her agreement and could hear Feretti talking into his radio, informing Colonel O'Neill of his presence and asking for their position. She left the major to do his thing while she met up with the young Lieutenant. 

"Set that stuff up over there," Sam pointed to an area besides the MALP. "We need to get this up in the air as soon as we can."

The Lieutenant gave her a nod and proceeded to set up the equipment. 

"Colonel O'Neill, I have the UAV ready to launch. Is there anything specific I need to look for?" Sam said into her radio. 

A few moments later, the colonel's voice came through. "We're looking for dwellings or sings of civilization that the UAV missed the first time. If someone attacked Daniel, he or she had to have been on the planet. We need to find out where they are now, because it's very likely that Daniel will also be there."

"Yes, sir. I'll get in touch again when I find something."

Sam terminated the connection and took the UAV's controls. She launched the device, glancing up as it cleared the Stargate. She immediately turned her attention to the monitor in front of her and did a gentle and through sweep of the area around both temples, along with the area several dozen miles beyond that. 

Again, as the UAV reported the first time it made a sweep of the planet, no dwellings or evidence of civilization was found. No structures outside of the two temples were found, nor were there any caves or other places where natives could be hidden. 

"Nothing, there's nothing," Sam whispered to herself. 

Lieutenant Rodriguez leaned closer to the monitor and sighed as she confirmed Sam's findings. 

On the second run through, Sam found something. She leaned closer to the monitor, for a moment unsure of what she'd found. She double checked the readings and gasped at what they confirmed. 

"What does this look like to you, Lieutenant?"

Rodriguez leaned closer and studied the readings. "That looks like an ion trail, Major. But that's impossible. There are no ships on this planet."

"There aren't supposed to be, at least," Sam agreed. She concentrated the sweep of the UAV on that area and switched to a view of the area instead of the sensor readings that had been displayed. She found herself looking at a clearing, about 100 feet across, surrounded by tall trees. She'd seen the clearing in the original UAV transmission and it had been as empty then as it was now. Now, however, there was something new... a large indentation of the trees to the right of the clearing. 

"Whoever was flying the ship didn't do a good enough job," Sam commented, pointing at the screen. "Look, they hit those trees."

"It could have been on the way out too, Major. Maybe whoever was flying the ship wanted to get off the planet before you all realized that Dr. Jackson was missing," Rodriguez added.

"Whoever that was must have been watching us the whole time." She put down the UAV controls and keyed her radio. "Colonel, what's your current position?"

"Were three miles northwest of the second temple, Carter. Have you found something?"

"I think so, sir." She checked the monitor again. "Two miles southwest of your current position, there's a clearing. The UAV found evidence that a ship landed there recently. It took off only a short time ago, because the ion trail from its engines is still detectible."

"Are you sure, Carter?"

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid I am."

* * *

"Great, just great... that's all we need." 

Jack turned to the rest of the men, noting how each and every one of them was looking at him. They'd all heard Carter's message, so he didn't have to say anything. He started walking towards the area Carter had specified, knowing that they would follow him. 

He set a quick pace, eager to get to the clearing and do something other than worry for his missing team mate. It hadn't escaped him that Carter said the ship had taken off a short while ago. If whoever was flying the ship had Daniel, then there was no way they were going to find him on their own, not on this planet. That thought sent spirals of cold fear down to Jack's heart. What had Daniel seen or done to merit getting clocked on the head and taken against his will? Better yet, why hadn't Daniel done something to get their attention? He was within walking distance or base camp, so if he'd yelled, they would have heard him. Why hadn't he, unless he'd been taken completely by surprise? But even if that was the case, Daniel was no dummy. He was a civilian with very good training and great instincts. Something should have alerted him, and the rest of them, that they were not alone on the planet. 

"Blaming yourself isn't going to do Daniel and good, Colonel," Feretti said as he walked next to him. 

"We should have known that someone else was here, Feretti. What the hell do we train for, if some sleaze ball can waltz in here and take a member of my team? We don't know if it's a Goa'uld we're dealing with. God knows Daniel has plenty of enemies among the System Lords and he could be on his way to one right now. 

"Jack, if a System Lord had been on this planet the whole time SG-1 was here, Daniel wouldn't have been the only victim. More than likely, your whole team would have been attacked."

"Major Feretti is correct, O'Neill," Teal'c added from Jack's other side, "It is unlikely that a Goa'uld was on this planet."

"Then who was it?"

"I do not know."

"Yeah, and that's the problem."

Jack walked ahead of his two companions, not wanting to have any sort of conversation with anyone at that moment. He should have been paying more attention. After all, as team leader, it's his responsibility to look out for all of members of his team, especially those that were civilians. He knew that Daniel resented that attitude from time to time, which is why Jack let Daniel do things on his own. He should have known better. 

Directly in front of him, Jack spotted a black lump. He jogged to it and kneeled down beside it. Tentatively, he reached out and grabbed the cloth, only to have his heart seize in apprehension when he realized that he was holding Daniel's vest. Underneath the vest, a watch could be seen, along with a standard issue Bowie knife and Daniel's Beretta.

"Major Feretti, the clearing is directly ahead," Captain Sams said. 

Jack glanced up for a moment and saw the break in the trees ahead of him. He didn't really care what was in the clearing anymore. As far as he was concerned, they had found their proof that Daniel was no longer on the planet. He got up, Daniel's vest still clutched in his hands. 

"He's gone. We're not going to find him on the planet anymore."

* * *

Darkness called to him on one side, endless noise on the other. 

He didn't really know where he was or what he was doing. All he knew was that he was in pain and the darkness was soothing and comforting. It offered an escape from the unbearable pain he felt. The noise, however, was insistent. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't drown it out. It was as if it was purposely trying to get him to climb out of the darkness. 

He tried to clutch to the dark one last time, but the noise won out and he slowly opened his eyes, only to be assaulted by piercing pain in his head as the light invaded his eyes. He immediately closed them again, and then opened them, this time slower than the last. His eyes slowly accustomed to the low lighting of the room he found himself in. The pounding in his head receded slightly, but didn't disappear. 

He sat up to find himself lying on a cot in the center of a spacious room. The walls were decorated in what looked like gold, with a few strange looking symbols dotting them at regular intervals. He didn't recognize what the symbols were, so he figured it was just decoration. He couldn't really be sure, however, because his vision was blurry. The symbols might make sense to him if he could see them clearly. Around him, he could hear a soft hum. He didn't know where it was coming from and didn't really care. All he wanted was to know where he was. He didn't remember where he'd been before, but he was sure that it wasn't in this place. 

He raised his hand and touched his forehead, which was throbbing more than the back of his head. He must have gotten hit on both sides, which would explain the pain and nausea he was experiencing. He frowned when his hand came away bloody. He didn't remember being hurt, but it might explain why he couldn't remember getting where he was. He touched the back of his head with his other hand and it, too, came back bloody. 

He managed to get to his feet after a few failed attempts and headed for what looked to be a door. It had a panel beside it with funny looking symbols like the ones on the wall. He leaned close to them to get a better look and they still didn't make sense to him. He pushed several of them, but had no luck in opening the door. Finally, he settled on knocking on the door. 

"Hello? Is anyone out there?"

He heard movement on the other side of the door and took a few steps back. After a few moments the door opened, revealing a tall man with dark hair and a beard. He was dressed in a leather outfit that covered him from neck to toes; a nasty looking knife at the man's hip and a strange looking gun in a shoulder holster finished the ensemble. 

"Who are you?" he asked the man. 

The man stepped into the room slowly and regarded him with a look of contempt. 

"Who I am is of no concern to you, Colonel O'Neill. All you need to know is that we're on our way to see an old friend of yours."

He frowned. "An old friend of mine?

His mind was fuzzy. He couldn't remember seeing the man before. He supposed that didn't make much of a difference, since he couldn't remember much of anything else either. But the man had called him by name, so he supposed that he was Colonel O'Neill. He had no memory of being O'Neill, but he didn't have any memories of not being him either. It was better than nothing. 

"Oh, yes, O'Neill. We're going to see an old friend of yours, one who is going to pay me a lot of money to hand you over to him."

O'Neill frowned as something clicked in his mind. "You're a bounty hunter, aren't you?"

The man smiled brightly. "Very good, O'Neill. I'd heard that you were rather dull. I'm glad to know that the reports were mistaken," the man said as he approached O'Neill. "Yes, I am a bounty hunter. I couldn't believe it when I saw you by yourself on Venitas, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab you. I know it'll be worth it."

"Where are we now?" O'Neill asked, looking around and forgetting, for a moment, the fact that he was to be sold to someone else. 

"This is my pride and joy, my vessel the Liberty. It's a junked Tel'tak that I found and refurbished. Nice, isn't it?"

O'Neill didn't say anything. He made his way towards the door but halted when the bounty hunter stepped in front of him. 

"I don't think so. You're going to stay in this room until we reach our destination."

"Where would that be?" O'Neill asked. 

"We're going to see your old friend Apophis."

* * *

**Part II: Limbo**

"Apophis?"

"That's good, O'Neill, that's really good," the bounty hunter exclaimed. He leaned against the door frame and chuckled merrily.

O'Neill frowned in confusion. "What's good?"

"That innocent routine you've got going. I know enough about you to know not to be fooled by anything you pull, so it's not going to work."

O'Neill opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell the bounty hunter that he had no memory of who he was or what it was he was supposed to have done to get this Apophis mad at him. 

"Okay, so humor me. What horrible things have I done to merit my being hunted for bounty?" O'Neill tried to make his tone as casual as he could, hoping that the other man wouldn't see that he was grasping for any information.

The bounty hunter chuckled again. "I think the question is what haven't you done?"

O'Neill began to feel a bit faint, so he slowly walked toward the cot where he'd awakened and sat down. "If you're so smart and know so much about me, why don't you prove it?"

The bounty hunter's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm willing to go along, for now." The man slid down to sit on the floor in front of the door, and regarded him for a moment before he spoke. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, leader of a group of explorers named SG-1. You hail from a planet called Earth, which the Goa'uld refer to as 'the first world'. It's apparently the world where most of their hosts originally came from. You lead this group of people to different planets, exploring and exploiting cultures wherever you go. Sadly, you're not the brains of your team... no, that dubious honor goes to Major Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson. Also on your team of oddities, you have a Jaffa named Teal'c. The Jaffa used to be a loyal servant to Apophis, before taking off to join your group. So you see, Apophis has it in for you for that alone." 

The bounty hunter paused for a moment, regarding him with a look bordering on admiration. "You've also managed to eradicate a half a dozen Goa'uld, sending the System Lords into power struggles that would amaze even the strongest of leaders. Who would have thought that four lowly humans could accomplish so much?"

O'Neill stared at the man sitting in front of him, trying desperately to make sense of everything he'd just been told. He wasn't given the chance to think about it much, because the bounty hunter wasn't finished. 

"Don't let your head get too big, O'Neill. You're not the only one being hunted. There's a sizable bounty on all four of you. I just happened to find you by yourself."

"So you were watching us the whole time, before you grabbed me? How did you get away?"

The bounty hunter smiled. "I was watching and waiting... Actually, I stopped on Venitas because I knew it was uninhabited and I wanted a place to stop and rest. I couldn't believe it when I saw your base camp. I have to admit that there aren't that many images of you and your human team members, so I took a chance on grabbing the right person. I'm glad I was correct in my guess. Even if I hadn't been, I'd still have gotten money for you. As for how I got away, I used this vessel. It has never let me down before."

O'Neill sat in silence, overwhelmed at the information he'd been given. 

"My team mates are probably looking for me," he stated, hoping that it was true. 

The bounty hunter shrugged as he got up off the floor. "It doesn't matter if they are; they're not going to be able to find you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a ship to run." 

With that, the man walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. 

O'Neill remained where he was, too tired and confused to attempt an escape. His mind was whirling in a million directions at once. How could it be? How could he be a militia leader of some kind, going around killing people? It just didn't seem possible... for some reason, it didn't fit. What was all the stuff the bounty hunter had said, stuff about Goolds and hosts and first planets? None of that made sense to O'Neill either, no matter how hard he tried to make it. What about this team of his, were they really looking for him? If the man was right and he did have two geniuses on his team, it made sense that they'd be able to find him. How, if he didn't even know where he was or where he was going? The name Apophis didn't ring any bells either, but he didn't sound like a nice person. What was he supposed to do when he finally got there? How could he answer for crimes he didn't remember having committed? 

It was too much. His headache had intensified with each passing moment. His whirling thoughts did nothing to alleviate it, but he couldn't stop thinking about the information. It seemed so odd, like it didn't belong to him, at least not entirely. 

O'Neill shook his head, hoping to clear the thoughts away. Instead, he was hit by a stabbing pain so deep that his vision blacked out for a moment. He tried to calm down, but succeeded only in panicking further. He got to his feet to try to get the bounty hunter's attention, but found that he couldn't see. He put his hands up to his head and before he knew it, he was on the floor, unconscious.

* * *

"Colonel O'Neill, what were you able to find?" General Hammond asked his second in command as soon as he'd stepped through the Stargate. 

"Daniel is gone, sir. Whoever took him left on a ship."

Hammond frowned. "How can you be so sure of that, Colonel?"

"Major Carter found traces of the ship's engines, and evidence of a ship's landing in a clearing. When we went to investigate, I found Daniel's vest, his watch, knife and side arm discarded on the ground, but no sign of Daniel."

Hammond sighed as he took in the weary appearances of SG-1 and SG-2. "Very well, people. We'll debrief in two hours. Get to the infirmary and cleaned up and then we can talk."

He left his people in the embarkation room and made his way up to his office, where he heavily sat down on his chair. He looked up at the wall in front of him, not really seeing it at all. 

He hated to lose anyone under his command, as all commanders did. It was getting harder and harder to deal with as the years went by and he became more familiar with those that worked at the SGC. However, he'd always had a soft spot for SG-1 and what happened to them always affected him a bit more. He knew how close knit they all were, which was why he knew that Dr. Jackson's disappearance had hit the three remaining members hard. He didn't have to look into their haunted eyes to see that, because he could feel it himself. 

The worst thing of all of this was that if Colonel O'Neill was correct, then they'd have no way of finding Dr. Jackson. If he'd been kidnapped and taken off the planet on a ship, he could be anywhere by now. They had no ships of their own and therefore no way to go after him. They had no spies planted anywhere so they couldn't rely on them for information. They couldn't get a team together and go after Dr. Jackson, because they didn't know where to go. Wherever he was, Dr. Jackson was on his own.

"God help him."

* * *

Jack walked into SG-1's locker room and headed straight for Daniel's area. 

"Dr. D. Jackson," Jack read the name tag on the wall out loud as he plopped down onto the bench in front of where Daniel stored his extra uniforms. He set the vest and watch on the bench, grimacing as he saw them again. 

Through the medical exam and debriefing, Jack had refused to let those items go, intent on coming to the locker room and putting them back in Daniel's locker where they belonged. He'd gone through the debriefing on autopilot and noticed that the rest of SG-1 was pretty much doing the same thing. Carter had been the one who contributed the most, because she had been in charge of the UAV. They had nothing but the UAV readings and Daniel's discarded equipment to go by and that wasn't anywhere near enough to find the missing man. 

Jack got up and grabbed a hanger from the rod where the rest of the uniforms hung. He neatly hung Daniel's vest on the hanger, before putting it next to Daniel's blue field jacket. The watch he picked up off the bench and took it to his own locker, where he placed it beside his own. He reached into his pocket and removed Daniel's broken glasses. He fingered the broken, bloody lens, before placing them in his locker. 

He'd given the glasses to Dr. Frasier so she could run tests and do a blood type on the blood to confirm that it was Daniel's, but had insisted on having them back when she was done. They were possibly the last thing they'd have of him and Jack felt the morbid need to keep them safe. 

"Colonel?"

Jack looked away from his locker and found himself looking into Carter's sad, blue eyes. He motioned for her to sit beside him on the bench in front of his area of the locker room and she complied. 

"What can I do for you, Carter?"

She remained quiet for a moment, before raising her head and meeting his eyes. "How could this happen? Why would someone take Daniel like that?" 

Jack swallowed the lump he suddenly found in his throat, before he was able to formulate a response. "I don't know, Carter. We were all there; we should have known it was happening."

She nodded and looked away from him to study her boots. She shifted in the bench, before wrapping her arms around her waist. "I just can't imagine what it was like for him. It had to have happened quickly, or he would have called for help." 

She paused momentarily as she struggled to fight the tears threatening to fall. Jack couldn't see them, but he could hear them in her voice. 

"We have to find him, Colonel. I don't care what we have to do, but we have to find him. We can't just leave him out there with god knows who."

Jack sighed. "We're going to find him, Carter. We have to find him. I'm not sure how or when, but I can tell you that I'm not going to give up anytime soon."

She looked up at him then, a slight smile on her face. "Yeah... we'll keep looking. I'm going to contact my father to see if the Tok'ra can help us. After all, they have spies everywhere."

"Good plan, Major. I'm going to see if I can talk to Thor. Maybe the Asgard can help. If the Asgard can't help, then maybe the Tollans can. Someone should be willing to help us. Don't worry, Carter, Daniel is resourceful. He can take care of himself."

* * *

"Whoa, wait a minute! You can't seriously be suggesting that we go in there"

"Of course I am. They're harmless people who just want to understand us. I, for one, want to understand them."

"In case you haven't noticed, they're all NAKED!"

"Yes, they are... but that's the way their culture dictates that they dress, or not dress in this case. Who are we to say that they're wrong?"

"I don't know about you, but I am NOT getting naked."

"Don't tell me you have a modesty problem?"

* * *

"So what does it do?"

"I think it's used to power up the gate, sir."

"Isn't that what the DHD is for, to give the gate power?"

"It is indeed."

"Maybe it's a portable source of power for when the DHD isn't working. Is that possible?"

"Yes, it is. Let's check it out."

"Wait, should you two really be messing with alien technology that you know nothing about?"

"Isn't that what we do every day?"

* * *

"Great, just great. I hate it when the snakeheads are around."

"I wonder which one it is this time."

"Tau'ri, kree! Lord Apophis is waiting for you."

"Wonderful. Why can't that particular snakehead just stay dead? I mean, how many times have we killed him already, two?"

"Yeah, two."

"Do me a favor, don't bait him this time?"

"Me? Why would I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know... it seems that every time you're in a room with Apophis, you bait him only to get yourself beaten up. Why don't we save the witty comments this time?"

"Can you blame me? After all, I learned from the best."

****

O'Neill woke up to again find himself in the spacious room with the golden walls, which he now knew was the cargo hold of the vessel Liberty. Ironic name, considering that he was anything but free at the moment. He was lying on the floor, where he'd fallen when he lost consciousness. Carefully, he rolled over onto his back and lay there until the pounding in his head settled a bit. It didn't help that the part of his head that was making contact with the floor of the vessel also hurt, but he let that go. 

He'd been dreaming, of that he was sure. Whether those dreams were memories or merely fragments of his imagination, he couldn't tell. All he remembered was hearing snatches of conversations; conversations that he was sure he'd participated in. He also remembered seeing people in his dreams. The one who most appeared was an older man with graying hair, who was usually dressed up in an outfit similar to one that O'Neill was wearing now. There hadn't been any names attached to the faces, but O'Neill felt that he knew them. The other two people he'd seen with the most frequency was a blond, beautiful woman and a dark, imposing man with a tattoo on his forehead. They, too, had been dressed similarly to the way he was dressed now. 

Could those three people be his team, the one that the bounty hunter had told him about? The woman could be Major Samantha Carter. That left the other two, Jackson and Teal'c to identify. The bounty hunter had said that Teal'c was a First Prime, whatever that was, to Apophis. Somehow, O'Neill figured that involved some kind of bodyguard position, so he assumed that the imposing man was Teal'c. That left the older man, who O'Neill assumed was Dr. Daniel Jackson. Odd, the man didn't look like a doctor of any kind. 

There were other faces as well: a bald man in what looked to be a uniform... a short, dark haired lady in the same type of uniform... an older man in robes... a younger man, also dressed in robes, with long hair and expressive brown eyes... a beautiful young woman with long, dark hair and captivating eyes... that same woman, dressed in silk robes and adorned with jewels. All of these were the faces of people he couldn't place nor remember ever seeing before. 

O'Neill closed his eyes, mentally weary from trying to figure out who he was and what he'd been doing, from only a conversation with a bounty hunter and snatches of conversations he'd heard in a dream. What could have happened to him and why couldn't he remember?

He turned his head to one side and gingerly fingered the wound at the back of his head. That part of his head was a little swollen and very sore. Could that have caused his memory loss? It was possible, wasn't it? He had no idea. If the injury was that severe, then why was he conscious? Shouldn't he feel worse?

O'Neill shuddered at the thought of feeling worse than he did now. It was all he could do to keep himself from throwing up every time he made a move, and the dizziness and blurriness of his vision hadn't gone away. He didn't want to panic, but O'Neill was sure that something was seriously wrong with him. He slowly sat up and leaned against the cot he'd been sleeping on earlier. 

The bounty hunter hadn't given him any information about himself, not even a name. O'Neill figured that if the man really was a bounty hunter, then lack of information was probably his way of life. It didn't help O'Neill try to figure out why he'd been taken, other than the fact that there was money involved. 

The door to the main part of the vessel opened and admitted the bounty hunter. The man looked down at him, a cross between a grimace and a smile on his face. 

"Well, Colonel, we've reached our destination," the bounty hunter announced. "We have docked with Apophis' ship, and he's eagerly waiting to get his hands on you, so I suggest we hurry along."

The man walked up to O'Neill, leaned down and roughly pulled him to his feet, causing his stomach to clench painfully and his head to pound. Blackness threatened to overcome him and he stumbled, but was held in place by the bounty hunter. 

"Come on, now's not the time for theatrics. You can do all the pretending you want once I've gotten my money and you're in Apophis' custody. Until then, you will walk out of here on your own two feet, understand?"

O'Neill didn't say anything, he just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, as the bounty hunter pushed him out of the ship and onto another room. 

If he'd thought that the Liberty was gaudy and over decorated, he was wrong. The ship he now found himself in was twenty times worse that the Liberty. There was even more of the funny writing on the walls and on every other surface. Men with tattoos on their foreheads, similar to the one on Teal'c's, stood guard on the other side of the door, waiting for them.

Could Teal'c be here? After all, if these people were like him, could they be allies? 

O'Neill doubted it, if this Apophis was the ruler of everything on the vessel. If these men worked for him, then he didn't think they would be friends of Teal'c. 

"Before you turn me over to this Apophis, don't you think I should at least know your name?" O'Neill asked, more to make conversation than anything else. 

The bounty hunter gave a bark of laugher, which sounded unbearably loud in O'Neill's left ear. 

"My name is Lota Fi. That's all you need to know."

O'Neill nodded, grateful to know at least that much about the mysterious man. They reached a turn in the corridor, and Lota jerked him around so fast that he was momentarily disoriented. He stumbled into the back of the man in front of him, who turned quickly around, pushed him away and pointed his weapon at him. 

O'Neill blinked to try to get his vision back under control, while wearily looking at the big man. 

"Sorry, I tripped," he mumbled. Lota tightened his grip on O'Neill's arm and pulled him backwards towards him. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're not going to ruin things for me now."

O'Neill's jaw tightened and he jerked his arm out of Lota's hand. He turned around to face the bounty hunter, ignoring the fact that there were weapons trained on him.

"I didn't do anything. You're dragging me though these gaudy corridors despite the fact that I have a head injury, probably a concussion, which YOU gave me. Why don't you chill out and just walk a little slower?"

Lota glared at him for a moment, and then started to laugh. "You do have spirit. Apophis is going to enjoy breaking you."

* * *

"My Lord Apophis, Lota Fi has arrived at your receiving chamber."

Apophis turned to glare at his current First Prime. "Very well, I will be there momentarily."

He watched the Jaffa leave and gave himself the satisfaction of a smile. Finally, something had gone well. After having the Tau'ri step into and ruin his previous attempts at conquest, he finally had the upper hand. If he could extract information from the human O'Neill, then he would be one step closer in being able to defeat Earth. 

Apophis stepped out into his receiving chamber and stopped in his tracks when he noticed Lota Fi and his prisoner. He frowned, his fists clenching in fury. Lota Fi was not going to get away with lying to him. 

"Approach me, bounty hunter. Jaffa, take the captive to my chamber."

"No, way, Apophis. I get paid first."

Apophis raised his ribbon device and pointedly aimed it at the bounty hunter. "I said approach me."

The Goa'uld could see the bounty hunter swallow nervously, but he did as he was told. 

"What is the meaning of this deception?" Apophis asked when the other man was within range.

The bounty hunter frowned. "What deception? I told you I'd captured O'Neill and I brought him to you."

"That man is not Jack O'Neill."

"Yes he is. He's been answering to that name ever since I picked him up."

"Do not fool me. Deception is an automatic death sentence, especially when you're on my ship," Apophis said, bringing the ribbon device closer to the bounty hunter's head. 

"Ask him yourself. I had to knock him out to capture him and when he came to, he answered to the name O'Neill. I'm not lying." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "If he's not O'Neill, then who is he? I had never seen images of them, so I just took whoever I could grab."

"He is the scholar, Jackson. I knew it was too easy. O'Neill is not easily captured. Jackson however, is not as well trained or as careful."

The bounty hunter took an involuntary stepped back. "Why would he lie to me about his identity? I already had him prisoner, so there was no reason to. No, if that man isn't Jack O'Neill, then for some reason, he really believes that he is. Either way, I brought you a member of SG-1. I'm still entitled to my payment."

Apophis glowered at the man, but he did have a point. "Very well. You may not have brought me O'Neill, but Jackson will do just as well. My First Prime will give you the payment you've earned. Now leave."

The bounty hunter nodded once, before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Apophis watched him go and motioned for the remaining Jaffa to escort him off the ship. Right now, he had better things to do. 

He slowly walked back to his chamber, where Jackson, along with two Jaffa, were waiting. The scholar was standing in the middle of the room, looking around. He had a hand on the back of his head, and it was then that Apophis noticed the blood on the man's shirt, hair and face. 

"O'Neill."

Jackson turned towards him slowly, grimacing as he did so. He met Apophis' eyes and did not look away. Apophis frowned, surprised to see curiosity and fear in the eyes, instead of the hatred and contempt he was used to seeing in Daniel Jackson. Did the man really believe he was Jack O'Neill?

"Who are you?" 

"Do you not know how I am?" Apophis asked. 

"Not really, but by the looks of things, I'm assuming you're Apophis."

"You assume correctly. You are Colonel Jack O'Neill?"

"Yeah, I am. So what do you want with me? What have I done that merits you paying a bounty hunter to hunt me down and kidnap me?"

Apophis narrowed his eyes as he stepped closer to the Tau'ri. He really believed he was Jack O'Neill. It was no game; Jackson was not trying to fool him. Jackson seemed to have lost his memory, which could be very beneficial to Apophis if he played his cards right. 

"The answer to that is complicated, O'Neill. Please have a seat." 

Apophis motioned to an ornate couch, which Jackson carefully lowered himself onto. The man seemed to be disoriented and in pain, but he wasn't going to do anything to cure Jackson of that. He needed Jackson as disoriented and in as much pain as possible so he'd be less of a problem.

"You used to serve me, O'Neill. You were a loyal advisor and leader of my forces. I sent you on a special mission to infiltrate the Tau'ri," Apophis explained, watching Jackson's expression as he digested the words. He had the man's full attention and it was all he could do not to smile. "Something went wrong and you never returned. A few years later, I was made aware that you had joined the Tau'ri to fight against me. I came to the conclusion that you'd been brainwashed and turned against me. I hired Lota Fi to find you and bring you back to me."

"Why would they do that?" Jackson asked. 

"The Tau'ri want to destroy me. What better way to do that than to turn one of my loyal servants against me?"

Apophis watched as Jackson tried to work through what he'd just been told, his eyes drooping the more he tried to think. 

"There will be time for explanations later, for now, rest. My First Prime, Ma'tek, will take you to a place where you can rest. We will discuss more of this tomorrow."

Jackson got up and stood uncertainly, until another Jaffa, Ta'het, escorted him out of the chamber. 

"Keep an eye on him at all times. He's not to be left alone. Post a Jaffa inside the room and two more outside. I want to be informed if he tries anything."

"Yes, my Lord," Ma'tek replied and made his way out of the room.

Apophis watched them go. He couldn't believe the opportunity he'd just been handed. The Tau'ri had taken Teal'c, his most loyal servant, and turned the Jaffa against him. It was time for the humans to experience the same thing. He would take Jackson and turn him into one of his most loyal servants. He would get Jackson to denounce the Tau'ri just as Teal'c had done for his own people. The man's mind was a blank slate, ready for any and all information he'd be willing to put there. All Apophis needed was time. Since no one knew where he was, time was something he had plenty of.

* * *

**Part III: Found**

"Are you sure we're going to the right place?" 

"Yes, Jack, we're going to the right place," Jacob Carter replied. 

Jack gave the Tok'ra a look, then returned his attention to the P-90 he held in his hands. 

Seventy Two hours ago, they'd gotten word from the Tok'ra that Daniel had been spotted by a Tok'ra operative on Apophis' new mother ship. Jack had been surprised to hear that Apophis was alive and kicking, but had gotten over that shock when he realized that Daniel was now with the snakehead. It had been fortunate that one of the Tok'ra operatives had been on board the ship at all. Jacob told them that the man, Jutan, had been recalled a few days prior to Daniel's arrival but had been delayed in getting off the ship. He'd recognized Daniel immediately and had sent word to the Tok'ra base, and then Jacob had been dispatched to warn the rest of SG-1. They were currently heading to Apophis' mother ship, after gating to a world that would put them just a little bit closer to Apophis' location. 

"How are we going to infiltrate the mother ship again?" Jack asked. 

Jacob's head bowed momentarily, and when it came up, his eyes were glowing, signifying Selmak's control of the body. 

"The planet that Apophis' mother ship is now orbiting is inhabited by a primitive people who provide hosts for Apophis' Jaffa. Jutan is in charge of overseeing the retrieval of these hosts, which means that he travels to and from the mother ship frequently. We are going to ring down to the planet, where one of you is going to pose as one of the slaves and then ring up to the mother ship with him. Once on board, you're to find Dr. Jackson, disable the ship's engines so Apophis can't follow us, and then ring back here." 

"Oh, is that all?" Jack quipped. 

"It is a dangerous mission, Colonel O'Neill, but it is the only thing we can do. We can not contact Dr. Jackson directly, because according to our source, he's been spending quiet a bit of time with Apophis. Whoever goes on board that ship has to realize that you'll probably have to go through Apophis to get to Dr. Jackson."

"I was wondering about that," Carter spoke up. "If Daniel was sold to Apophis, as Jutan reported to us, why hasn't he been killed yet? 

"Carter, isn't it your father's job to be pessimistic?"

Carter managed to look sheepish. "I'm sorry, sir, but it's a valid question. Daniel has been with Apophis for a little over a week now and according to Jutan, he's been spending a lot of time with Apophis. Jutan mentioned no injuries to Daniel, save for the head injury that we already knew about, so it doesn't make sense. Apophis has to be planning something?"

Jack looked away from his scientific major, and gazed out of the window. The possibility had occurred to him that Apophis might have something else in mind for Daniel. He hadn't wanted to consider it, but it didn't make sense for Daniel to still be in one piece. Unless... 

"Apophis has a sarcophagus, doesn't he? He could have been using that to revive Daniel."

"Jutan mentioned that Dr. Jackson still seemed to be suffering from a head injury. He still had the physical signs of it, at least. If Dr. Jackson had been inside a sarcophagus, those injuries would be gone," Selmak answered. 

"Selmak is correct, O'Neill. Apophis would not torture Daniel Jackson without using the sarcophagus to revive him."

"Hold it! Why are we sitting here talking about Daniel being tortured? He's alive and well, albeit in the company of a snakehead, but that we can do something about," Jack said. "Why don't we concentrate on our plan instead?"

"Yes, sir.

"Agreed, O'Neill."

"Jack, this isn't going to be easy."

"Don't start being the pessimist, Jacob. I've got Carter doing that now," Jack countered. "Come to think of it, I rather like talking to Selmak. She isn't so negative."

Jacob gave him a tight smile, and then stood up from where he'd been sitting at the Tel'tak's controls. 

"Which one of you is going to ring to Apophis' ship?"

"I am," Jack replied without hesitation. "I'm the team leader; I'm responsible for Daniel, so I'll go. Besides, Teal'c would be way too recognizable... I think Teal'c and Carter will be better off disabling the engines."

"Very well. Jutan will provide you with clothing once we reach the planet. Take only what you can conceal under a loose robe, Jack. We don't want to give the game away too early."

"Goody. I can hardly wait."

* * *

"Are you okay?"

"I'm not really sure... I think I'm going to have to be, though."

He was in a house, surrounded by soft, warmth. There was an older man sitting in front of him, his face full of concern. There was no danger in this place, no fear, just a sense of limbo and things unfinished. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel or how he was supposed to act. All he knew was that he had to do something to get through, because he didn't have any other choice. He smiled bitterly, remembering that having little choice was something he was well familiar with. His entire life, things had happened to him that had forced him to deal with the loss of loved ones, treasured friends, acquaintances, whether he wanted to or not. This particular time wasn't any different. He just wasn't sure if he was willing to do what was necessary to survive this time. 

"What are you going to do now?" the older man, a man he had met a year previously under different circumstances, asked him. 

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just got back after being officially declared dead on my native planet a year ago. I don't have a place to live, or a job. Well, I may have a job if the general decides to keep me around. I have no family, no friends, except for those that are out of my reach now..." his voice broke at the intensity of the loss he felt; the loss of his new family, his beloved wife.

"I know that this isn't much, but you're welcome to stay with me until you find a place of your own. The Air Force owes you some back pay from the first Abydos mission, and knowing how much the government likes to part with its money, it'll take them a while to get it to you. Until you can put a down payment on an apartment, I have a spare room you can use. You can ride to work with me and then come back with me at the end of the day."

He felt genuinely touched at the offer. It wasn't everyday that a total stranger, practically a stranger at least, offered his home to him. 

"I can't do that. I don't want to impose."

The older man laughed and took a sip of the bottle in his hand. "Look around, I have the house to myself. My wife isn't going to be coming back, believe me. I have plenty of room and a spare room with your name on it. It won't be any trouble for you to stay here until you're up on your feet again."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, unless you have something against bunking with me."

He laughed, feeling a bit of hope in the midst of the despair that was threatening to tear him up inside. 

"Not a chance. Thank you, I appreciate it."

The older man nodded in acknowledgement and took another sip of the bottle. 

"We will find them, you know. We're not going to stop looking. Skaara and Sha're are out there and we will find them."

"Of course we are. We're going to find them."

The thing was, he wasn't sure if he really believed that.

* * *

O'Neill awoke to a pounding headache. 

It had been happening less frequently, but he still had them. He also knew he'd had another dream. Those, too, had become a part of his life. He didn't know what to make of them, because they contradicted everything Apophis had been telling him; not that O'Neill believed everything Apophis said. There was something about the man that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end... concussion or no, O'Neill knew enough not to completely trust the man.

He'd asked Apophis for medical attention for his head, but he'd refused, saying that the injury would heal itself in time. In a way, that was true. His head didn't hurt as intensely as it had when he'd been with Lota Fi, and he wasn't as nauseous or disoriented as he had been. However, it still hurt constantly, and his vision never improved from the blur it constantly was. He had been provided with a comfortable room and clothing. He now wore a simple white tunic with a pair of pants belted at the waist. It was a comfortable ensemble. 

"Comfortable for a prisoner," he mumbled, glaring at the guard standing just inside the door. 

Lota had told him that Apophis would have a good time breaking him, but no torture had been conducted yet. Instead, Apophis had spent most of the time with him asking questions and telling him stories of the Tau'ri and what they'd done to him. Apophis seemed pleased that he was unable to remember much of anything and had taken it onto himself to fill in the blanks. What O'Neill had learned of the Tau'ri gave him chills, and plenty of reason to distrust them, especially the three he'd been with on SG-1. 

Apophis had told him that the older man, Jackson, was a conniving bastard that wanted to take over the leadership of the team. Apophis claimed that Jackson had set him up on the planet, allowing Lota to grab him so that he could take over the job. O'Neill would have readily believed that, were it not for the dreams he kept having. In them, he always saw the older man. When they talked, it was always with an air of friendship and mutual respect, something O'Neill could feel. Names were never exchanged in the dreams, just conversations. The feelings O'Neill experienced in the dreams were real; real enough, at least, to prevent him from fully believing Apophis. He wasn't going to tell him that, of course. Playing dumb was the best way to go. 

O'Neill had thought about escaping more than once since he'd been kept in the plush room he found himself in. He figured that since he was supposed to be such a hot shot military leader, getting out of a guarded room shouldn't be a problem. However, he'd been unable to come up with any feasible plans for escaping. He'd credited his lack of planning success to his head injury and had, instead, focused his energies on remembering who he was. It had been many days and he still had no idea. 

Suddenly, he heard noises outside of his room. The guard must have heard them too, because he raised his weapon and headed for the door. Just as the guard was about to open the door, it burst open. The guard was on the floor before he even realized what was happening, and O'Neill found himself staring at the man from his dreams. 

"Daniel, thank God. Come on, buddy, let's blow this snake pit."

Daniel?

"Who are you? Why are you calling me Daniel?"

O'Neill saw the man stiffen suddenly and glance behind him at the man that had come with him. O'Neill recognized him as one of Apophis' servants, but he wasn't familiar with the man. 

"I'm Jack O'Neill, you're Daniel Jackson," the man answered stiffly, glancing at him with concern. "We don't really have time for this, Daniel. Carter and Teal'c are about to blow the ship's engines so we really need to get out of here."

O'Neill, however, did not move.

"No, you're wrong. I'm Jack O'Neill... you're Daniel Jackson," he said with certainty. 

The older man, Jackson, walked up to him. He put the gun he'd been carrying in a pocket and then put both of his hands on O'Neill's face. 

"Look, Daniel, I don't know what's happened to you. I don't know how badly you were hurt when that bastard bounty hunter took you, but you seem to be suffering from some kind of memory loss. You think you're me; that I can deal with. Really, there are worse people to be." The man smiled, but O'Neill saw no humor in the situation. "Right now, we need to get out of here before Apophis comes looking for us. I'll explain everything once we're back on the Tel'tak, I promise."

O'Neill stared into the man's eyes, and saw nothing but urgency and sincerity there. He knew form his dreams that they'd been friends, or at the very least good acquaintances. He owed it to him to trust him. 

"Colonel O'Neill, we don't have time for this. We have to go now."

"What's it going to be, Daniel?"

"Okay."

The man smiled and patted his right cheek fondly. 

"Alright, let's blow this joint!"

* * *

"Colonel, you have one minute until the ship's engines blow. I'd suggest you get back here before then."

"Ya think?" Jack said into his radio. "Are you and Teal'c back on the Tel'tak?"

"Yes sir," Carter replied. "We're all set to go. Did you get Daniel? Is he okay?"

Jack spared a glance at the man walking beside him, who was currently starting at him with a mixture of relief and apprehension. 

"I found him, Carter, but he's experiencing some sort of memory loss. I'll tell you all about it when we get there. Just be ready to transport us to the Tel'tak. O'Neill out."

"You're really Jack O'Neill?" Daniel asked him, with such confusion in his voice that Jack's heart broke for his friend. 

"Yes, Daniel, I am. I'll explain it all to you when we get out of here, okay?"

Daniel only nodded and continued to walk. 

They made it to the transport rings before trouble started. 

"O'Neill!"

Jack turned around and found himself facing Apophis and four Jaffa. 

"You can't do this. I will kill you first."

"Now how many times have you said that, Apophis, and how many times have we still kicked your butt?"

"You amuse me, O'Neill, as did Jackson."

"You lied to me," Daniel said in wonder, as if he couldn't believe that Apophis could do such a thing.

"You expected anything less from me, Tau'ri? I should have killed you when Lota Fi brought you to me. No matter, I will kill you now."

"Oh, I don't think so." Jack stepped inside the ring platform and keyed his radio. "Now, Carter!"

The last thing he heard as he was being transported, right after Apophis' wail of defeat, was the deafening sound of the C4 going off.

* * *

O'Neill, who now had to start thinking of himself as Daniel Jackson, let himself be led to the cargo hold of a vessel similar to the Liberty. He saw several people along the way, one of which he didn't recognize at all, but ignored them. He felt disconnected and out of place again, just as he had when he had woken up on the Liberty. He'd managed to piece together an identity for himself since then, only to have it snatched right out from under him once again. 

O'Neill, the REAL O'Neill, led him to the corner of the big room where a cot had been set up. He gently placed him on it.

"Carter's going to take a look at your head, okay Daniel? She's not going to hurt you."

Daniel nodded his agreement and watched the blond woman approach him. 

"Carter, he's suffering memory loss. For some reason, he thinks he's me, so be gentle with him. 

The last was said softly, but Daniel managed to hear it anyway.

"You're Major Samantha Carter, aren't you?" he asked when she reached him. 

A wide smile graced her face. "Yes, I am. Are you starting to remember?"

"No. Lota told me who you were and I associated a name with a face I saw in my dreams. Other than your name, I know nothing about you."

The smile faltered slightly, but she put up a strong front.

"I'm going to take a look at your head, okay?"

"Go ahead."

She got right to it, describing what she was seeing. 

"There's a wound right above your right eye, probably where your head impacted one of the walls of the temple on 889. You have a deeper laceration to the back of your head with a little swelling still remaining. Tell me, do you have a headache?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "Most of the time I do, but it's not as bad as it used to be."

"How about nausea, do you have any of that?"

"No, I stopped feeling nauseous a few days ago. My vision is blurry, though. Could that have something to do with the concussion too?"

Major Carter glanced at him, and then glanced at O'Neill, who took something out of his pocket. 

"Here, put these on," he said, handing him a pair of glasses. "I brought your extra pair from home, figuring that you'd need them. Teal'c found the broken pair you were wearing on 889."

Daniel did as he was told, and put the glasses on. Immediately, his vision came into sharp focus. He looked up at his two companions, seeing them clearly for the first time. They looked just as they had in his dreams. 

"Thanks, this is much better."

She smoothed his hair and then stepped back to look him in the eye. "You probably had a concussion. It seems the bounty hunter hit you with a blunt object. That is probably the cause of your amnesia as well, though I can't be sure. I'm not a medical doctor, so we'll have to wait for Dr. Frasier to examine you further."

"Is there anything else you can do, Carter?" O'Neill asked. 

"No, sir. The concussion will heal itself and the swelling will go down eventually. Maybe his memory will return then. All we can do is wait."

Daniel saw O'Neill nod. "Daniel, how did you come to think that you were me?"

Daniel swallowed and looked away from both of them, focusing instead on his feet. He sat in silence for a short while, gathering his thoughts. He felt adrift, lost. He had though he was someone, and had then been told that he was someone else. He had no recollection of being either person, and felt as if maybe it was better to not be either, to just be someone else, someone different. 

"Lota Fi, the bounty hunter, told me I was Jack O'Neill when I woke up on his vessel. He believed he'd captured you, I guess. I didn't know who I was, so I just assumed that he was right. Apophis didn't correct me either."

O'Neill sat down beside him, while Major Carter sat on the opposite side. Daniel saw a new person come into the cargo hold and looked up at the imposing man, Teal'c. 

"Daniel, this is Teal'c," O'Neill said. 

"Hi, Teal'c. You can come in and listen if you want," Daniel said. 

"I believe I will do so, Daniel Jackson. It is good to see you well."

"Daniel, what did Apophis say to you?" O'Neill asked. 

"I'm not sure, Colonel O'Neill. I wasn't thinking clearly at first, so I didn't pay much attention."

"Call me Jack," O'Neill, Jack, said, smiling slightly at him. 

Daniel nodded, and then continued with the story. "Apophis told me about Daniel Jackson, who at the time I thought was you, Jack. He said that you had deliberately put me in a position where the bounty hunter could grab me so you could take command of the team for yourself."

"I would never do that, Daniel," Jack said. "We went looking for you and didn't find you. When we realized you'd been taken by ship, we went back to Earth and contacted our allies. The Tok'ra finally came through and told us where you were."

"Is that who the two people at the controls of this vessel are?"

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied. "They are of the Tok'ra."

"Apophis said that the Tau'ri, you, were opportunists who took advantage of other's weaknesses and exploited them. I think he wanted to turn me against you so I'd give him information. However, I had no information to give."

Daniel was quiet for a moment, letting the rest of the group digest what he'd said. Finally, he spoke again. "What did I do while I was on your team?"

"You're an archaeologist and a linguist, Daniel. You study ancient cultures and languages," Major Carter replied.

"So I'm a scholar then?"

Jack smiled. "Yes, you are. Why do you ask?"

"When I thought I was you, both Lota and Apophis kept telling me that I was some kind of ruthless military leader who slaughtered the innocent to take what I wanted. That just didn't seem right to me. For some reason, I couldn't see myself as any kind of military leader, much less one who slaughtered countless innocents."

"You are not ruthless, Daniel Jackson. In fact, you are the most gentle and forgiving person I have met. You do not kill unless it is to defend yourself or your team. You devote your life to peace."

Daniel smiled slightly and glanced gratefully at Teal'c. "I don't think that Jack O'Neill is really a ruthless military leader either. Are you?" he asked Jack.

Jack shook his head. "No, I'm not. I don't make it a point to go around killing for fun. That's not my style either."

"Thank you, all of you. I'm sorry that I don't remember you."

"It's okay, Daniel, it's not your fault," Major Carter replied.

"Where are we going now?"

"Home."

* * *

Jack paced the length of Dr. Fraiser's office, nervous energy making it impossible for him to stand still. 

It had been two weeks since Daniel had been brought home and there was no change in the archaeologist's mental state. He still remembered nothing of his life past waking up on the bounty hunter's ship. The rest of SG-1 had given Daniel a tour of the base, had taken him to his office and his apartment hoping to jog his memory, but nothing had done the trick. Currently, Daniel was on one of the infirmary beds being subjected to yet more tests. 

"What's going on, Doc? Why isn't Daniel remembering anything yet?"

Janet Fraiser glanced at him as she entered her office, but said nothing until she had settled herself behind her desk, with Daniel's chart open in front of her. 

"To be honest with you, Colonel, I'm not certain about what's going on. Daniel suffered a severe concussion from the attack, but not a fracture. Temporary amnesia has been known to be a side effect of such an injury, but it is usually temporary. Daniel has been home, in familiar surroundings, for two weeks already. His concussion has all but healed and he's back to full strength. There is no medical reason for Daniel to still be suffering from amnesia."

"What do you think it is, Doc?"

Janet shook her head. "I have no idea, Colonel. The trauma he underwent was severe, but he's been through worse things before. Unless he's repressing something that happened to him between his abduction and rescue, I don't know what else it could be."

"So what's next, Dr. Fraiser, what else can we do?"

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, Colonel. The only thing left to do is wait and see."


End file.
